Sotheby's 15th October Important Aboriginal Art Auction in Sydney

Tonight in Sydney, Sotheby’s Australia will attempt to sell a collection of Important Aboriginal and Oceanic Art valued at between $1.3-1.9 million and featuring works by artists such as Kitty Kantilla, Ginger Riley Mundwalawala, Anatjari Tjakamarra and Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula.

Leading the sale is a fantastic early painting on board by Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula which was originally owned by Geoffrey Bardon who is credited with the establishment of the Papunya Tula art movement.

Estimated to fetch $140,000-$180,000, Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula’s Rain Dreaming with Ceremonial Man (1971) is a visually stunning and historically important painting that will be sure to excite the interest of Aboriginal art collectors.

Rover Thomas (Joolama) is represented with a large painting in his typical minimalist style that is being sold with an estimate of $50,000-$70,000. Painted in 1990, Snake Dreaming in Joondagal (Juntarkal) Country was last sold by Sotheby’s Australia in 2009 for 66,000 AUD against an estimate of 50,000 - 70,000 AUD.

Anatjari Tjakamarra’s Untitled (Tingari Ceremony) (1972) has been in the same collection since 1973 when it was acquired by an employee of the first Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Estimated to fetch $50,000-70,000, the painting is one of two major early works by the artist in the sale, the other being Tinikutinupa (Kangaroo Rat Dreaming) (Version 2) (1973) which is estimated to fetch $80,000-120,000.

Garimala (1988) by Ginger Riley Munduwalawala is another highlight of the sale. Included in the highly acclaimed retrospective of the artist's work held at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne in 1997, the painting was last sold by Joel Fine Art in 2008.

With provenance from the Austcorp Group Limited Art Collection, New South Wales, Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungurrayi’s Old Man’s (Yina) Dreaming (1972) would be a good buy. Being sold from by a private collector from the Netherlands, the painting is estimated to achieve $30,000-$50,000.

Also of interest to collectors will be the range of artefacts being sold including spear throwers, shields, clubs and boomerangs. A pair of Transitional Scrimshaw Bull Horns from Queensland featuring carved pictures of emus and a hunting scene is one of the more interesting lots in the sale.